Dual Shot Acoustic Technique to Troubleshoot Gas-lift Wells

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1 40 th Gas-Lift Workshop Houston, Texas, USA Oct , 2017 Dual Shot Acoustic Technique to Troubleshoot Gas-lift Wells Shea Province - Apache Corp Carrie Anne Taylor - Echometer Company Lynn Rowlan - Echometer Company Oct , Gas-Lift Workshop 1

2 Introduction Efficient operation of artificial lifted wells normally requires the fluids moving to the surface in the tubing to be isolated from the casing annulus. Leaks and/or pressure communication through the tubing usually results in failure of the Lift Method Pressure communication through tubing can be used to find holes, restrictions, wellbore problems or equipment malfunctions Distance to the fluid level provides beneficial information throughout the life of a gas-lift well. Using a known valve depth is an accurate method to determine the depth to the fluid level Oct , Gas-Lift Workshop 2

Dual Shot Method 1. Displace liquid out of Tubing down to the operating valve. 2.

Disconnect Tubing microphone cable after Shot is fired. 3.

Watch for Kick identifying communication between Tubing and Casing. 5.

3 Dual Shot Method 1. Displace liquid out of Tubing down to the operating valve. 2. Fire Shot using Remote Fire Gun on Tubing. Disconnect Tubing microphone cable after Shot is fired. 3. Listen and Record Shot using Compact Gas Gun on Casing. 4. Watch for Kick identifying communication between Tubing and Casing. 5. Using the average of the Tubing and Casing Acoustic Velocities, calculate the Depth to the Kick. 6. Using the Wellbore Schematic or Overlay, identify the Problem Valve. Fire Shot Only Listen and Record X

4 Overlay Casing Setup Shot onto Dual Shot to Verify

5 The Dual Shot Method Oct , Gas-Lift Workshop 5

6 Tubing Remote Fire Gas Gun Listen with Gas Gun on Casing Dual Shot Method Look for Communication between Tubing and Casing on a Gas-lift Well. Shoot down Tubing and simultaneously Listen on Casing. Fire the Tubing Gas Gun to send a pressure wave down Tubing. Unplug the Tubing microphone cable from T after shot is fired, and leave the Casing microphone cable plugged into the Well Analyzer. Acoustic Signal is created in Tubing. Holes, malfunctioning check valves, and malfunctioning gas-lift valves pass pressure wave into casing. For calculating Depth on Listen gun, use an average of the Tubing and Casing Acoustic Velocities from just prior Tubing and Casing shots.

7 Use Low Pass Filter to See Casing Mandrel Echoes Just Prior Casing Shot Orifice Wellbore Overlay

Use Valve #9 Depth for 1177 ft/sec Acoustic Velocity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Orifice Liquid Level Use Gas-lift Valve #9 6791 foot Depth 11.

8 Use Valve #9 Depth for 1177 ft/sec Acoustic Velocity Orifice Liquid Level Use Gas-lift Valve # foot Depth RTTT to Calculate Average Casing Acoustic Velocity 1177 ft/s and Determine the fluid level is near/at the orifice. Just Prior Casing Shot

218 Sec @ End of Tubing Depth: 7688 Use EOT 7688

9 EOT Echo Determines 1255 ft/s Acoustic Velocity Just Prior Tubing Shot RTTT End of Tubing Depth: 7688 Use EOT 7688 foot Depth sec RTTT to Calculate Average Tubing Acoustic Velocity 1255 ft/s.

10 Connect Both Guns to Shoot Tubing Remote Fire Gas Gun Analyzer for Shot Fire Look for Communication between Tubing and Casing on a Gas-lift Well. Shoot down Tubing and Simultaneously Listen on Casing Listen with Gas Gun on Casing

Fire Remote Fire Gas Gun on Tubing After

the casing microphone cable plugged into

11 Fire Remote Fire Gas Gun on Tubing After Shot Fire Listen Only on Casing Gun As soon as Tubing Shot is fired Unplug the Tubing microphone cable from T and leave the casing microphone cable plugged into the Well Analyzer. Listen with Gas Gun on Casing

12 Dual Shot Results Example 1 Oct , Gas-Lift Workshop 12

13 Tubing Shot On Casing Gun see Bad Check Valve and EOT Echo Dual Shot Casing Shot

14 EOT Echo Determines 1255 ft/s Acoustic Velocity Tubing Shot Acoustic Velocity = 1216 ft/s ( )/2 Dual Shot Use Valve #9 Depth for 1177 ft/s Acoustic Velocity Casing Shot

15 Dual Shot Results Example 2 Oct , Gas-Lift Workshop 15

16 Tubing Shot Use notes to identify Dual Shot Markers Casing Shot

17 Echoes from Both Tubing and Casing are seen in Dual Shot. Apply Low Pass Filter and Zoom In Communication around 4 th Valve, could be bad valve or HIT EOT Casing Liquid Level Liquid Level through Tubing Oct , Gas-Lift Workshop 17

18 Dual Method Using Plunger Lift Application Oct , Gas-Lift Workshop 18

Tubing Wireless Remote Fire Gas Gun Listen with Wireless 5K Gas Gun on Casing Dual Shot - Wireless Look

Using TAM Plunger Lift Application Simultaneously Acquire High Speed Acoustic and Pressure Data.

19 Tubing Wireless Remote Fire Gas Gun Listen with Wireless 5K Gas Gun on Casing Dual Shot - Wireless Look for Communication between Tubing and Casing on a Gas-lift Well. Using TAM Plunger Lift Application Simultaneously Acquire High Speed Acoustic and Pressure Data. Press Fire Shot button on Tubing Gun while Listening for Pass Through Echo on Casing Gun. Acoustic Signal is created in Tubing. Holes, malfunctioning check valves, and malfunctioning gas-lift valves pass pressure wave into casing. For calculating Depth on Listen gun, use an average of the Tubing and Casing Acoustic Velocities from just prior Tubing and Casing shots.

20 Using TAM Plunger Lift Application Simultaneously Acquire High Speed Acoustic and Pressure Data 1000 hz

21 Press fire shot button on Tubing Gun while Listening for Pass Through Echo on Casing Press Fire button when ready to shoot and make sure the chamber pressure is greater than the well pressure.

22 Acoustic Signal is created in Tubing. If holes, leaky check valves, leaky gas-lift valves are present, then Tubing Pressure Wave enters Casing. End of Tubing Echo Depth: 7688 Liquid Level Echo Depth: 7950

23 Acoustic Signal Recorded in Casing shows holes, leaky check valves & leaky gas-lift valves when tubing pressure wave can pass into casing On Casing Gun see Downkick from Bad Check and Upkick from EOT Echo

24 Conclusion Dual Shot Method is Used to find holes in Tubing, plus malfunctioning check valves and/or gas-lift valves Passing pressure wave from one pipe into adjacent pipe is the method to identify depth of leak Beneficial information is obtained throughout the life of a gas-lift well through acoustic surveys Knowing the Acoustic Velocity profile of a well provides critical information for verifying gas composition and fluid level accuracy. Identifying reflection kicks across valves and mandrels result in more accurate depth analysis. Troubleshooting technique aids in identifying problems. Oct , Gas-Lift Workshop 24

25 Copyright Rights to this presentation are owned by the company(ies) and/or author(s) listed on the title page. By submitting this presentation to the Gas-Lift Workshop, they grant to the Workshop and the Artificial Lift Research and Development Council (ALRDC) rights to: Display the presentation at the Workshop. Place it on the web site, with access to the site to be as directed by the Workshop Steering Committee. Place it on a CD for distribution and/or sale as directed by the Workshop Steering Committee. Other uses of this presentation are prohibited without the expressed written permission of the company(ies) and/or author(s) who own it and the Workshop Steering Committee. Oct , Gas-Lift Workshop 25

26 Disclaimer The following disclaimer shall be included as the last page of a Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Course. A similar disclaimer is included on the front page of the Gas-Lift Workshop Web Site. The Artificial Lift Research and Development Council and its officers and trustees, and the Gas-Lift Workshop Steering Committee members, and their supporting organizations and companies (here-inafter referred to as the Sponsoring Organizations), and the author(s) of this Technical Presentation or Continuing Education Training Course and their company(ies), provide this presentation and/or training material at the Gas-Lift Workshop "as is" without any warranty of any kind, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information or the products or services referred to by any presenter (in so far as such warranties may be excluded under any relevant law) and these members and their companies will not be liable for unlawful actions and any losses or damage that may result from use of any presentation as a consequence of any inaccuracies in, or any omission from, the information which therein may be contained. The views, opinions, and conclusions expressed in these presentations and/or training materials are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Sponsoring Organizations. The author is solely responsible for the content of the materials. The Sponsoring Organizations cannot and do not warrant the accuracy of these documents beyond the source documents, although we do make every attempt to work from authoritative sources. The Sponsoring Organizations provide these presentations and/or training materials as a service. The Sponsoring Organizations make no representations or warranties, express or implied, with respect to the presentations and/or training materials, or any part thereof, including any warrantees of title, noninfringement of copyright or patent rights of others, merchantability, or fitness or suitability for any purpose. Oct , Gas-Lift Workshop 26

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